UEFA is considering legal action against FIFA president Gianni Infantino following the withdrawal of a controversial proposal to bring private investment into the governing body’s major competitions, according to The Telegraph.
The European football governing body has reportedly issued a formal notice requiring FIFA to preserve documents, emails and electronic communications connected to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
UEFA has warned that it is examining possible legal proceedings, arbitration and regulatory complaints against FIFA and other parties associated with the initiative.
The move represents an escalation in the dispute between UEFA and Infantino. The European confederation had already helped force the withdrawal of the FFE proposal after all 55 of its member associations threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead.
The Telegraph reports that UEFA, led by president Aleksander Čeferin, has also contacted several people and organisations linked to the project.
Those named include Joshua Kushner, the Thrive Eternal fund, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan and OpenEconomics. They have reportedly been instructed to retain evidence that could become relevant if legal proceedings are launched.
UEFA has further warned that destroying or changing documents after receiving the notification could be treated as evidence tampering and could result in sanctions.
The latest development suggests the European body does not regard the withdrawal of the FFE project as the end of the dispute.
Instead, UEFA appears to be moving towards investigating whether there could be legal consequences arising from the way the proposal was developed and presented.
The organisation had previously said it had serious concerns about FIFA’s leadership and announced that it would conduct a detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding the project.
The Telegraph’s reported revelations indicate that UEFA is now taking steps to gather and protect material that could support that review or potential legal action.
The dispute has placed further pressure on Infantino, whose leadership has faced opposition from several parts of the international football community.
The FFE proposal encountered strong resistance after it emerged that FIFA intended to open part of its commercial business to private investors.
UEFA’s 55 national associations united in opposition and said they would boycott FIFA competitions if the project proceeded. Other continental confederations, including Concacaf, the AFC and CONMEBOL, also raised concerns about the governance of the proposal, its transparency and the lack of consultation.
There has also been reported disagreement within FIFA.
According to Sky News, senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and described the initiative as a “bad deal”. FIFA operations director Kevin Lamour also criticised the proposal, describing it as a project “driven by a single person” and saying staff had been misled.
The growing opposition comes at a significant time for Infantino, with the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
Infantino is seeking another term as president, meaning the continuing dispute over the FFE proposal could become an important issue in the months leading up to the election.
UEFA’s latest actions could increase scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership, particularly on questions of governance, transparency and accountability.
The European body has already challenged the project politically and succeeded in seeing it withdrawn. Its decision to preserve evidence and consider legal routes indicates that it wants the matter examined beyond the political arena.
If UEFA proceeds with legal action, or if further football confederations join its criticism, the dispute could develop into a wider institutional confrontation within world football.
The consequences could extend beyond the abandoned investment plan and affect the debate over Infantino’s leadership ahead of the 2027 election.
For now, UEFA’s demand that relevant evidence be preserved marks a new stage in the confrontation. What began as opposition to the FFE project has developed into a broader dispute over the way FIFA is governed and the accountability of its leadership.
With the presidential election approaching, the legal and political fallout from the failed proposal could become an increasingly important challenge for Infantino as he seeks to remain at the head of world football.
